Here comes the cold? Not quite yet in Lehigh Valley

A change is coming to the lower 48 states, says the National Weather Service, but here in the Lehigh Valley temperatures are set to remain above average -- at least for another week or so.

Meteorologists say a push of dry air and partly sunny skies will dominate over the next few days, with daytime highs holding in the upper 40s through the weekend and into the start of next week.

In the weather service's extended outlook, they see temps trending downward on Tuesday as afternoon rain moves in. But meteorologists say it's not until the tail end of next week that the Lehigh Valley could really begin to feel the effects of a pattern change.

The weather service says we'll see a southward dip in the jet stream from western Canada and into the western U.S., next week, bringing plenty of cold air. That will slide eastward until it reaches our region by this time next Friday, with daytime highs tumbling into the 30s.

Even though this anticipated change is being touted as 'the coldest air of the season,' highs in the upper 30s are normal for December, at least in Allentown and surrounding areas. U.S. Climate Data says the average high for the month is 40 degrees.

Here's the extended outlook from the National Weather Service:

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. West wind 6 to 14 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. West wind around 10 mph.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Breezy, with a northwest wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon.